A
reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans due to
climate change is already discernible in some parts of the world and
should be evident across large regions of the oceans between 2030 and
2040. — The National Center for Atmospheric Research in a press
release on April 27th.

At
least 12 Indian states are believed to be facing famine and experts
have warned that the water crisis could worsen if urgent action is
not taken. — Greenpeace statement taken yesterday by The
International Business Times.

It’s
a hard, tough thing to consider. One of those possibilities people
justifiably do not want to talk about. This notion that a creature
we’re fond of and familiar with — a glorious living being along
with all its near and distant relatives — could be entirely removed
from the web of existence here on Earth.

Our
aversion to the topic likely stems from our own fear of death. Or
worse — the notion that the entire human race might eventually be
faced with such an end. But extinction is a threat that we’ll see
arising more and more as we force the world to rapidly warm. For
species of the world now face existential crisis with increasing
frequency as atmospheric and ocean temperatures have risen so fast
that a growing number of them have simply become unable to cope with
the heat.

As
a result, Winter temperatures in the Arctic hit levels that were
likely never seen by any human that has ever lived in a settlement
resembling a town or a city. And one of the paths over which this
heat ran was Western North America. A region that is now experiencing
a number of early warning signs that trouble is on the way.

Feb,
2016 the atmospheric CO2 level was 404.16 ppm, or 4 ppm larger than
just a year ago. Mar 25, 2016 hit 405.81 ppm, almost 5 ppm larger
than only one year ago. Average levels rose a record 3.09 ppm in
2015, slightly less in 2014 and a record (then) 2.90 in 2013.

Yet
global emissions from humans have been reported to have levelled off
the last few years.

12
Percent. That’s how much of Greenland’s surface experienced
melt yesterday according to a report from DMI’s Polar Portal as an
unprecedented flow of warm, wet air slammed into its great ice
sheets. 10 Percent. That’s how much of Greenland’s ice sheet
surface is required to melt in order to mark an official start to the
Summer melt season. Late May or early June. That’s when Greenland
melt season typically begins.

What
gives? Could be BAD. Could mean Earth sinks are maxed out and/or
sources are rising.

"Climate
change is starting to impact India’s breadbasket. Record high
temperatures over the Gangetic Plain — India’s productive farming
region south of the Himalayas — are starting to take hold as a
result of a human-forced warming of the globe"

“If
you look over the entire … last 66 million years, the only event
that we know of … that has a massive carbon release and happens
over a relatively short period of time is the PETM. We actually have
to go back to relatively old periods. Because in the more recent
past, we don’t see anything [even remotely] comparable to what
humans are currently doing.”

---Richard
Zeebe of the University of Hawaii in a recent paper published in
Nature.I didn't get to mention this but I wanted to post this call-in from a caller from Hawaii. It was one of the most emotionally switched-on contributions from a caller on Nature Bats Last that I have heard and certainly left an imprint on me.